February 3 - 4, 2027 Heredia, Costa Rica

Agenda

Two days. From first licence and first well to reliable power.

The GEOLAC 2027 program moves country by country, from Costa Rica’s next chapter to fast-paced updates on Colombia, El Salvador, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico, into the financing, drilling, and technology questions that decide whether a project actually gets built. Topics and trends to be covered include:

Costa Rica’s next chapter: Borinquen’s construction and lessons from five decades of geothermal development
Eastern Caribbean momentum: Commercial operation in Dominica, rig mobilization in Nevis and shared-drilling models
Country pipelines: Project and policy updates from Colombia, El Salvador, Bolivia, Ecuador and Mexico
Financing the first well: Risk allocation, concessional capital and guarantees
Closing the execution gap: Why approved projects stall and how to shorten the path to drilling and construction
Data-center demand: What the US geothermal–data-center surge could mean for LAC
Drilling and next-generation technology: Oil-and-gas expertise, EGS and partnerships linking capital with drilling capability

Wednesday

February 3

8:00-8:30

Registration & Networking

8:30-9:00

GEOLAC 2027 Opening Remarks

9:00-9:40

Geothermal in Motion: Is the Momentum Real?

Geopolitical volatility in fossil fuel markets, compounded by the growing threat of a powerful El Niño and associated climate extremes, is placing renewed pressure on energy systems across Latin America and the Caribbean. Could these pressures accelerate geothermal’s role in strengthening energy security and diversifying the regional energy mix?

With Colombia issuing its first geothermal exploration permits, Dominica reaching commercial operation and Borinquen passing the halfway mark, the region is showing tangible signs of progress. This opening session takes stock of the developments reshaping the market: where is momentum translating into real projects, which markets are gaining ground, and what could change materially before GEOLAC 2028?

Which developments over the past 12 months have changed the regional outlook?
Where is political commitment translating into drilling, procurement or construction?
Which markets are attracting sustained developer interest, rather than one-off activity?
What would need to be true by GEOLAC 2028 for that momentum to hold?

9:40-10:20

Costa Rica Geothermal: The Next Chapter

With ~200 MW already operating and Borinquen I underway, Costa Rica is the clearest test of whether a mature market can still deliver new capacity on schedule.

Where does geothermal sit in Costa Rica’s future generation mix?
What does Borinquen’s construction timeline tell us about delivering new capacity in a mature market?
How are technology choices, system needs and project economics evolving?
Which lessons from Costa Rica’s five decades of geothermal experience remain relevant for newer markets?

10:20-11:00

Networking Break

11:00-11:25

Interview: Colombia – Nereidas and the Path to Scale

Approval granted for exploration at Nereidas marks Colombia’s first large-scale geothermal project. What comes next for drilling, financing and the GeoColombia program? Beyond Nereidas itself, what financing and regulatory pieces still need to fall into place to build out a real pipeline?

11:25-12:10

What Makes a Geothermal Market Investable?

What conditions let geothermal investment scale across LAC, rather than depend on individual flagship projects?

What do recent projects show about how exploration and drilling risk should be allocated?
Which PPA, procurement and concession structures are proving best suited to geothermal development?
What do recent transactions show about the most effective use of concessional capital, guarantees and risk-mitigation instruments?
What are international developers looking for before committing capital, drilling capacity and technical teams?
From which real LAC examples can the market derive lessons for building a deeper, more repeatable project pipeline?

12:10-12:30

Interview: Ecuador – Chachimbiro and Sierra Negra and the Case for Firm Geothermal Power

JICA-backed field development is advancing at Chachimbiro and exploration is progressing in parallel at Sierra Negra. What role can geothermal play in strengthening and diversifying Ecuador’s power system? With both projects advancing at once, how is the resource being deployed?

12:30-1:20

Eastern Caribbean Geothermal: Taking One Proof Point to a Regional Model

Dominica’s plant is now commercially operating. With Nevis and Saint Lucia advancing toward drilling, the Eastern Caribbean is entering a critical phase of geothermal development. Can regional coordination, shared drilling resources and new financing approaches help deliver projects faster and at lower cost?

What in Dominica’s delivery model is genuinely repeatable elsewhere, and what was specific to Dominica?
As drilling gets underway, what would it take for Nevis to be ready for its next steps?
Can regional coordination on drilling equipment, services and financing meaningfully reduce costs and project risks?
Which Eastern Caribbean markets are closest to delivering commercial geothermal generation, and what milestones remain?

1:20-1:45

Mexico – Geothermal Opportunities from Oil & Gas Infrastructure

Mexico is exploring how existing oil and gas wells, subsurface data and petroleum-sector capabilities can open new pathways for geothermal development. Where do the strongest opportunities lie, including binary generation and direct-use applications, and how can existing drilling capability and infrastructure reduce geothermal risk and cost. We examine technical, commercial and regulatory barriers that still must be addressed before these projects can scale, and how collaboration between Pemex, CFE, IMP, INEEL and other sector partners could accelerate development.

1:45-3:10

Networking Lunch

3:10-3:45

Closing the Geothermal Execution Gap

live polling

Why do well-supported LAC projects still lose momentum between approval and delivery?

What do recent LAC projects show about the longest and most consequential delays between financing, procurement and drilling?
Are conventional public procurement rules equipped for geothermal’s subsurface uncertainty and specialist drilling requirements?
How can governments and development institutions shorten the lag between financing approval, tendering and field mobilisation?
Where do permitting, procurement sequencing and institutional capacity create avoidable delays?
What can current experience at Chinameca, Chachimbiro and the Eastern Caribbean projects teach us about structuring for faster execution?

3:45-4:15

Geothermal and Latin America’s Emerging Data-Center Opportunity

As data-center demand drives growing interest in geothermal energy in the US, could a similar opportunity emerge in Latin America and the Caribbean? Where might the region’s geothermal resources intersect with growing demand for reliable, round-the-clock power, and what would it take to turn that potential into investment?

What can Latin America learn from emerging partnerships between geothermal developers and data-center operators in the US?
Where might growing data-center demand create opportunities for geothermal development in LAC, and what could make certain markets more attractive?
How could geothermal help meet the growing electricity demand from data centers, particularly in markets facing grid capacity constraints or increasing competition for reliable power?
Beyond electricity generation, what role could geothermal technologies play in meeting data-center cooling requirements, and could integrated power and cooling solutions strengthen the business case?

4:15-4:50

Who Will Lead Geothermal’s Next Growth Cycle?

Talent, leadership and investment will shape whether geothermal can scale across the region. What will it take to build the people, partnerships and institutions needed for the sector’s next phase of growth?

How can the sector attract the technical, commercial and investment talent it needs?
What role can government, industry and international partnerships play in building a stronger geothermal workforce?
How important are leadership and institutional capacity to turning project ambition into delivery?
Where are the biggest gaps in skills, opportunity and senior leadership?
What does a stronger, more competitive geothermal sector look like over the coming decade?

4:50-5:30

Geothermal for Industry: Cutting Costs and Carbon Emission

Networking Roundtable

Where can geothermal deliver competitive energy costs and lower emissions for energy-intensive industries? Which technologies, direct-use applications and commercial models could unlock partnerships between geothermal developers and industrial energy users across the region?

The Cost of the First Well

Networking Roundtable

Can coordinated rigs, services, procurement and technical standards change drilling economics in small and emerging geothermal markets?

4:50-5:30

Smaller Fields, Better Economics?

Networking Roundtable

Can modular plants, binary technology and staged development make 5–30 MW resources more commercially attractive?

What Does Regulation Need to Do Differently to Enable New Geothermal Investment?

Networking Roundtable

How should regulation, tariffs, grid access, concessions and risk allocation evolve to better reflect the realities of exploration, drilling and geothermal long development cycles?

4:50-5:30

How Do We Put a Value on Geothermal Resources?

Networking Roundtable

With GRMS bringing greater consistency to the classification and reporting of geothermal resources, and broader frameworks such as UNRMS providing a resource-management context, can these tools help translate subsurface heat into an asset that developers, governments, banks and investors can better understand and value? How do we move from heat in place to technically and economically recoverable resources, and can more consistent reporting improve the way mid- and low-enthalpy geothermal opportunities are understood by lenders and capital markets?

5:30-7:00

GEOLAC Networking Drinks

Thursday

February 4

8:00-8:50

Registration, Coffee & Networking

8:50-9:00

Day Two Welcoming Remarks

9:00-9:45

The Well Is the Project

Drilling remains geothermal’s defining risk. Which oil-and-gas technologies and lessons can meaningfully cut cost and time?

Which advances in drilling, imaging and completions are having the greatest impact?
Where can geothermal genuinely benefit from oil and gas experience?
How can drilling programmes be shortened without increasing risk?
What needs to change to bring down well costs?

9:45-10:05

Guatemala: Reigniting Geothermal Development to Diversify the Energy Mix and Strengthen Resilience

Guatemala is renewing its focus on geothermal as a means of diversifying its energy mix and strengthening resilience to climate variability and fossil fuel price volatility. With INDE implementing a World Bank-supported energy transition program that includes geothermal exploration at Tecuamburro and Moyuta, what are the priorities for advancing development, and what will it take to turn renewed momentum into commercially viable projects?

10:05-10:40

Does LAC Need Next-Generation Geothermal Yet?

EGS and closed-loop systems are drawing major global investment, while LAC still has ample conventional resources untapped. Where would next-generation technology solve a genuine regional problem?

Which LAC geological settings genuinely suit EGS or closed-loop systems?
Could oil and gas basins create geothermal opportunities away from volcanic zones?
What power price and offtake profile do these projects require?
Where could the first credible LAC demonstration happen?

10:40-10:55

Networking Break

10:55-11:20

Interview: El Salvador – Chinameca Drilling and the Berlín Retrofit

With a World Bank-backed drilling programme underway at Chinameca and the newly inaugurated Berlín binary unit already adding output, what does the country’s two-track model of new drilling paired with retrofit capacity offer other markets?

11:20-12:00

Technology That Changes the Project Economics

Which technologies can meaningfully improve project economics today, especially in smaller markets?

Where are modular and binary technologies changing minimum viable project size built to capture waste heat from an existing field rather than drill new wells?
How much can better resource data and plant design reduce development risk?
Can phased development improve economics while limiting upfront exposure?

12:00-12:45

Geothermal Beyond Power: Cooling, Heat and New Value

Where are the strongest commercial opportunities for geothermal beyond power generation? What can LAC learn from international markets, and where are industrial demand, new technologies and viable business models creating opportunities for investment?

How can LAC apply international lessons to accelerate commercial geothermal deployment?
Which industrial and agricultural applications offer the clearest opportunities for investment, and how can developers secure demand?
How can heat pumps and emerging technologies open new markets and strengthen the commercial case for geothermal?
What would it take to make geothermal cooling commercially viable in LAC’s growing urban markets?
How can developers, industrial users and financiers structure bankable projects and bring them to market?

12:45-1:30

Southern Cone Geothermal: Power, Heat or Both?

Where is the strongest near-term opportunity for geothermal in the Southern Cone? Is it power generation, or has industrial heat and cooling become the stronger near-term case?

Are we seeing Chile’s 2024 shallow-geothermal law unlock a commercial market for heating, cooling and industrial heat? What else can be done to accelerate the market?
Can Argentina turn geothermal resources in Neuquén and the northwest into an energy solution for mining, industry and regional development?
How could oil and gas expertise, drilling capacity and subsurface data lower the barriers to geothermal development in Argentina?
In Bolivia, looking at reactivation of Laguna Colorada, what are the next decisions on drilling, financing and delivery to provide a genuine path to delivery?
What would bring international developers back into the Southern Cone?

1:30-2:30